Dyche hoping to kick start the ‘greatest of Great Escapes’

Chris Boden

Clarets boss Sean Dyche is hoping to stave off relegation for the time being at least and try and kick start the ‘the greatest of Great Escapes’.

If Burnley fail to win at Hull City tomorrow, their Premier League dream will be over.

Margins are tight, big decisions lately have gone against us, which have had an effect, but we will be ready to play

Sean Dyche

But while their fate is not mathematically sealed, Dyche and his players will give everything to beat the odds.

He spoke after the 1-0 defeat at West Ham of myths, legends and folklore, and should the Clarets produce an unlikely revival, it would knock all others into a cocked hat - Oldham Athletic winning their last three games to survive in 1992/93, Portsmouth in 2005/06 and Fulham two years later.

Dyche, asked if it would be the greatest of Great Escapes, he said: “Yes. I think it is in reality now.

“We’ve got three games.

“The difference with Great Escapes is if you have seven or eight or 12 games. I remember when Roy Hodgson went to Fulham, Harry (Redknapp) had an incredible one at Portsmouth but they had enough games. With three to go it’s very tough but while there’s a light at the end of the tunnel we go towards the light - it’s as simple as that. While there’s a chance there’s a chance and you look to take the chance.

“We are at that last-chance stab at it. You have got to be reality-bound, but the lads are definitely up for it. They have been all season.

“Margins are tight, big decisions lately have gone against us, which have had an effect, but we will be ready to play, for sure.”

Burnley have won only once in 14 games - against last season’s champions Manchester City - and have not scored since that shock victory, going a club record 569 minutes.

But Dyche won’t change his approach to the game at the KC Stadium: “We have been having to win most of the season. The approach has always been to win.

“We have always tried to be progressive in our play in our order to win. We have played mixed styles in order to win, we have tried to affect games in different ways in order to win.

“We want to attack teams - I made it clear we wanted to do that home and away. We have attempted to do that in order to win.

“We haven’t always got across the line but that has always been a thought of ours. It is not just this game.”

He added: “The mantra has never changed. It’s about winning. You’ve got to do what you can do to win a game and that’s never changed. We’re still looking to win games now.

“We understand more than ever the complexities of the Premier League and it is difficult to win games at this level. We all know that, that’s the challenge.

“At the end of the season is the time for the bigger picture conversations. We have them constantly as a staff, monitoring everything that goes on. But when it comes to the end of the season, come what may, is the time to reflect, make sense of it and move forward.

“Our mental aspect will be clear to go and get a win whatever else happens.”

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